


Five Times Enjolras Failed at Telling R He Loves Him, and One Time R Said It First

by mihomi98



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: 5+1, Angst with a Happy Ending, Enjolras Is Bad At Feelings, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining, Piningjolras
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-24
Updated: 2017-04-24
Packaged: 2018-10-23 14:17:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10721004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mihomi98/pseuds/mihomi98
Summary: The thing about romance was that Enjolras /sucked/ at it. Many a Valentine's Day over the years had been spent at lectures, chocolate hearts traded out for healthier alternatives, like kale and spinach smoothies. Dates consisted of watching documentaries and studying the failures of human society, and kisses were traded for intellectual conversation.Grantaire, on the other hand, /excelled/ at it, charming and romancing even the most cold-hearted of people. He purchased flowers for all of his friends at nearly every accomplishment, and he planned first dates for people without even batting an eyelash. Hell, he planned Combeferre's /proposal/ down to a tee, even lying out the scene in his and Courfeyrac's living room so that everything was perfect.That's why, when Enjolras realized he was in love in Grantaire, he knew that he had to make his confession amazing.If only everything didn't have to keep going wrong.





	Five Times Enjolras Failed at Telling R He Loves Him, and One Time R Said It First

1

The thing about romance was that Enjolras / _sucked_ / at it. Many a Valentine's Day over the years had been spent at lectures, chocolate hearts traded out for healthier alternatives, like kale and spinach smoothies. Dates consisted of watching documentaries and studying the failures of human society, and kisses were traded for intellectual conversation.

Grantaire, on the other hand, / _excelled_ / at it, charming and romancing even the most cold-hearted of people. He purchased flowers for all of his friends at nearly every accomplishment, and he planned first dates for people without even batting an eyelash. Hell, he planned Combeferre's / _proposal_ / down to a tee, even lying out the scene in his and Courfeyrac's living room so that everything was perfect.

That's why, when Enjolras realized he was in love in Grantaire, he knew that he had to make his confession amazing.

He had known for quite some time that he found Grantaire attractive, but it wasn't until Les Amis were having a picnic in the park that he realized just how deeply his feelings ran. He was sitting on a bench next to a field of wild flowers with a book about European law open in his lap while the rest of his friends were playing soccer. It was warm enough out that Enjolras was nearly sweating in just his cargo shorts and red v-neck tee, and he wasn't even moving. The rest of his friends, on the other hand, had taken their shirts off (even Eponine and Cosette were in their sports bras), drenched in sweat as the darted around the field.

Enjolras tried his hardest to keep his eyes on his reading, but he couldn't help but get distracted by the way he could see Grantaire's muscles as he twisted and turned, his tanned skin glistening as sweat dripped down his chest. He had gotten back into boxing and fencing after he got sober, and the new activities had most definitely done wonders for his physique.

Before long, Enjolras couldn't even / _pretend_ / to read, his gaze locked and his heart racing. His breathing was growing shallow, too, and he had to dig his fingernails into his knees to keep his arousal at bay.

When Grantaire looked over Enjolras forced himself to look away, pretending to study the colors of the wildflower sitting directly to the right of him. It was some kind of cone flower with dark-pink petals.

Suddenly, Enjolras had an idea. Grantaire was an artist, he loved pretty, colorful things. Enjolras could give him a bouquet of wild flowers! That would be romantic, right? He saw it in movies all the time, the guy would gets the girl flowers, admit his love to her, and they lived happily ever after. Granted, Grantaire was a guy, but the same principle applied, right?

Enjolras closed his book and smiled, images of kissing Grantaire playing through his mind. It would be perfect!

He stood and stepped into the field, crouching down to gather up the most beautiful of the blooms. There were petals of all shapes and sizes, varying from new buds to full blossoms. He picked as many as he could before standing, his smile growing as he looked at his gift.

This was going to be perfect.

As Enjolras began to walk out of the field, however, he began to notice a problem. He felt a few leaves scratch his legs, but he didn't think that it was anything serious until he glanced down and saw three abandoned stingers sticking out of his calves.

"Oh, fuck," he whispered, his eyes going wide and his throat tightening as the skin around the stings began to swell and turn red. He sprinted the last few feet of the field and tried to get the stingers out before too much of the venom got into his bloodstream. He hadn't thought it was that big of a deal at the time, but he had left his EpiPen sitting on the kitchen counter in his apartment.

He barely had time to call for the others before the world went black.

 

***

 

When Enjolras woke up, he was lying in a hospital bed, an IV pumping liquid into his body. All of his friends were seated around him, and the moment they noticed he was awake, they began to berate him for not taking more precautions, and hounding him for going into the field in the first place.

Enjolras slumped down on the bed and crossed his arms. Flowers were too much of a cliché, anyway.

 

2

A few weeks later, Enjolras was at the mall passing out pamphlets for Les Amis' next rally when he saw the perfect gift sitting on a kiosk. He put the pamphlets under his arm and jogged over to the sales lady, a pretty brunette with a nametag that said "Anne."

"Can I help you with anything?" she asked, leaning back in her chair next to the register and smiling.

Enjolras nodded before pointing to a large yellow creature that looked like a cross between an octopus and a stingray. It had big black eyes that reminded Enjolras of Grantaire's, and was incredibly soft to the touch. "I want to get that for a friend, please," he said, picking it up and holding it out for Anne to ring up.

"Nice choice. That one is just the gift that keeps on giving." She winked at him as he handed over his debit card. She scanned it and handed it back to him.

Enjolras smiled, tucking the card back in his wallet. "I think so, too. Thank you." He took the bag and dropped his pamphlets in, feeling too excited to wait to give Grantaire his present.

He jogged out to his car and went to the gym where he knew Grantaire and Bahorel boxed every Tuesday afternoon. He pulled his own gym membership out of his wallet and went inside, flashing the card and going straight to the boxing ring.

Bahorel and Grantaire were in the ring, both men dripping with sweat and grinning as they swung at one another. Grantaire was bouncing on his feet, and Bahorel was starting to stumble as Grantaire made a particularly well-aimed punch. His next swing, however, went amiss as he noticed Enjolras on the sidelines. He lifted a hand to wave, and Bahorel used the distraction to his advantage as he switched from boxing to wrestling, lunging forward and tackling Grantaire to the ground.

The men wrestled for a few more seconds before they rolled away from each other, laughing and grinning as the stood up. Bahorel went over to a group of men stranding near the edge of the ring, but Grantaire jogged over to Enjolras, grabbing a towel from the bench and using it to wipe his face before draping it over the back of his neck.

“Hey, Apollo,” he said, crouching down to grab his water bottle from under the bench. He squirted some into his mouth, a few drops dribbling down over his chin. Enjolras had to clench his fist around the bag to keep himself from reaching up and running his thumb over the drops. He was used to the overwhelming desire to kiss Grantaire, but this, being this close . . . this was torture.

Hopefully Grantaire would accept his gift, and they could move on to _actual_ kissing.

He cleared his throat nervously before holding up the bag. “I, uh, brought you something. It’s a present.”

Grantaire furrowed his brows. “A present? Why?”

“Can’t a friend just bring another friend a present every now and then?”

Grantaire cocked his head to the side. “Normal friends, yes, but Enj . . . you’ve never even bought me a _birthday card_ , nonetheless a present out of the blue. Is everything okay?”

Enjolras’s nerves exploded, and he could feel his hands beginning to tremble as Grantaire took the bag. “I saw it and . . . I thought it was cute, I guess. It made me think of you.”

“I’m just saying it’s weird, is all.” He opened the bag, his expression getting even more confused. He shut it and looked at Enjolras. “This made you think of me?”

“It’s cute! You like cute things!” He reached over and took the bag from Grantaire. He pulled the plushy out and looked at it before holding it out. “And it has your eyes!”

“Woah, what’s that fun like toy?” Bahorel called out from across the ring, bursting out laughing as he came over and joined Enjolras and Grantaire. He took the toy out of Enjolras’s hand and stared at it before laughing harder. “Oh, my God, Enj, what sorry sap gave you this? That’s fucking hilarious!”

Now Enjolras was confused. What was so funny about an octopus-sting ray? “Uhm, I bought it?”

Bahorel laughed harder. Enjolras’s cheeks began to burn, and he shoved his hands into his pockets uncomfortably. He really didn’t get what was so hilarious about him buying Grantaire a present. Was he _that_ much of an asshole that him buying someone a present had to mean that he was playing a prank on them?

Grantaire sighed and took the toy from Bahorel, who was now laughing so hard that tears were running down his cheeks. “Enjolras, what do you think this is?”

“It’s an octopus-sting ray hybrid!” He took it from Grantaire and pointed at the top and the sides. “Look, it has an octopus head, and it has a sting-ray body!”

“Oh, my God, wait until Courf hears about this,” Bahorel said, pressing a hand against his stomach and doubling over with laughter.

Enjolras crossed his arms over his chest. “I don’t know what is so funny about this. It’s just a present.” He began to put it back into the bag, fully convinced that it would be better for him to take the present back. “Never mind, this was a stupid idea. Forget I ever came by.” He clenched his fist and began to storm away.

Before he could get too far, however, Grantaire jogged after him and grabbed his hand. Enjolras tried to resist turning around, but when Grantaire squeezed his hand, he couldn’t help but look at him. “Look, it’s not that I don’t appreciate the thought, but . . . Enjolras, did you read the tag on the toy?”

Enjolas bit his lip and shook his head. “No. I was so excited that I just bought it and came straight here.”

Grantaire nodded. “Okay. Read the tag.”

Enjolras hesitated before doing as he asked, and once he had, his eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. He looked up at Grantaire in horror, his cheeks burning in shame as Grantaire gave him a tight smile. “You get it now?”

Enjolras couldn’t say anything. He yanked his hand out of Grantaire’s and took off running.

Only he would buy the man he was in love with a giant stuffed representation of Herpes.

 

3

Looking back on it, Enjolras should have known that trying to bake Grantaire brownies was a bad idea, but he had no way of knowing that he was supposed to crack the eggs before adding them to the batter. Besides, a little extra carbon in a man’s diet was never a bad thing, was it?

The food poisoning Enjolras woke up with the morning that he was planning on taking the brownies over was enough of a sign that he didn’t even have to wonder.

At least Grantaire never had to try a bite.

 

4

Once Enjolras got over his bout of sickness, he turned to the web to find something else to do. It took a few days, but he finally found something that seemed like something Grantaire would like to do. There was some sort of art show downtown, and luckily for him, Grantaire agreed almost immediately when Enjolras asked. He didn’t even question why Enjolras was being so weird around him, or why he asked him to do something just them. Then again, Enjolras made it seem like it was a just-friends kind of thing to do, but he didn’t think it would be too hard to turn it into a date-date.

Enjolras should have known that everything was going too well.

Enjolras and Grantaire walked into the venue an hour or so after it was due to open. Grantaire was explaining different styles of art and different movements, telling Enjolras all about his favorite pieces and why each artist was his favorite. He was speaking with his hands and beaming, his voice getting louder and louder he more excited that he got.

Enjolras couldn’t take his eyes off of Grantaire the entire time that he was speaking, nearly crashing into walls and doors several times as he became too engrossed in Grantaire’s words. He looked more beautiful than Enjolras had ever seen him, his cheeks flushed and his eyes sparkling in excitement. He couldn’t help but hope that they were have more nights like this, more times where he got to see Grantaire’s passion.

They walked into the main room of the venue, and immediately, Enjolras knew that something was wrong. Honestly, he should have known when he saw the footballs around the edges of the advertisement, but when he saw the word _art,_ he had really thought that he had hit a hole in one. How was he supposed to know that the “art show” was really just an excuse for drunken and pissed off college students to burn well-known pieces of art in protest of the sports funds getting cut in half so that the art building could be remodeled.

At first, Enjolras thought it was just some sort of interpretative art, that the act in and of itself was supposed to be a masterpiece, but when he saw the fury on Grantaire’s face, he knew that he was wrong. Grantaire’s teeth were clenched, and his nostrils were flaring as one of those “favorite pieces” of his went up in flames.

Grantaire started to storm towards the students, but Enjolras grabbed his hand and held him back. “Let’s just go, R,” he said, his stomach turning as Grantaire turned his blazing eyes on him. He shook off Enjolras’s hand and stormed away, going down the hall and punching a hole in one of the walls before he threw open the front door and went out into the night.

Enjolras wasn’t sure he was supposed to follow, so he waited almost a full minute before he left.

All that was left of Grantaire was a wrinkled pack of cigarettes burning by the door.

 

5

A few days after the art show, Enjolras decided to give being romantic one final go. He saw a picture on Facebook of the most beautiful parks in the region, and he knew that the peak at the top of the trail would be the _perfect_ place for him to admit his feelings. He told Grantaire that he needed help photographing the view for an article he was freelancing, and, even though the last outing was a complete and utter disaster, Grantaire agreed.

They met around eleven, and took off up the trail. Again, the conversation flowed easily, and even the few argumentative comments that passed between weren’t enough to damper the happiness that Enjolras was feeling. He resisted the urge to reach down and take Grantaire’s hand, to shove him up against one of the trees and kiss him as forcefully as he could.

Grantaire told Enjolras all about the hikes he used to do with his sister, and about the different things he had grown growing up. Enjolras, in turn, talked about his own family, and told Grantaire some of his most embarrassing stories. He made Grantaire laugh, he made Grantaire smile, and he made himself fall more in love.

When they finally reached the top of the trail, Enjolras let out a gasp at just how _beautiful_ everything looked. He could see for miles and miles, and as Grantaire snapped a few pictures of the view, he was overcome by the way that the sun caste a glow on Grantaire’s skin, his cerulean eyes appearing aquamarine.

Enjolras took a deep breath, trying his hardest to calm himself down. His hands were shaking, and his heart was racing. He couldn’t believe that this moment was finally coming, and Grantaire just looked so stunning . . . but what if he didn’t feel the same way? Enjolras had been so sure about telling Grantaire how he felt, but what if it destroyed the friendship that they had started to build? He loved talking to Grantaire, and he loved be able to spend time with him like this. He didn’t want all of that to go away just because he let his stupid emotions get in the way.

Before he knew it, he was hyperventilating and Grantaire was pulling him to his chest, hugging him and rubbing his back as he tried to calm him down. “Breath, Enjolras. In, out, in out.”

Grantaire’s smell made everything worse, though, and it made Enjolras’s throat feel like it was closing. He couldn’t stop shaking, and his lip was beginning to bleed from when he had bitten through it.

If he couldn’t even tell Grantaire how he felt about him, how could he ever have a relationship with him?

 

+1

Somehow, Grantaire managed to get Enjolras back down the path and back to his apartment. Enjolras planning on just getting out of the car, but Grantaire pulled into a spot and shut his engine off. “Can I come up? I think we need to talk.”

Enjolras’s eyes widened, and he felt like he was going to have another panic attack, but he nodded. He unbuckled and got out, Grantaire following closely behind him as they went upstairs. He unlocked the door and dropped the keys onto the entry table, gesturing with his hand towards the living room. “Do you want something to drink?” he asked, his voice cracking and his hand trembling.

Grantaire looked at his fingers, and Enjolras lowered his hand slowly, making a fist and trying to shove it into his pocket. Before he could, though, Grantaire grabbed his wrist and pulled him over to the couch. He angled his body so that he was facing Enjolras. “Apollo, talk to me. You’ve been acting weird for weeks, now. You’ve been taking me places, and buying me things, and acting like you want to be my friend . . . what’s going on?”

Enjolras coughed. “You are my friend, no acting involved.” Grantaire raised an eyebrow at him and tilted his head forward. Enjolras bit his lip and looked at his lap. “I, uhm, I wanted to tell you something, but . . . things keep going wrong. I don’t think I’m meant to tell you.”

Grantaire moved his hand from Enjolras’s wrist down to his hand, interlacing their fingers. He squeezed lightly. “Enjolras, I think I know what’s going on here. And I just . . . if I’m right, and you feel the same, then . . . ” He took a deep breath before whispering, “I’m in love with you, Enjolras, and I’d really, _really_ like to kiss you now.” He looked back up. “Is-is that okay?”

Enjolras’s heart stopped, and he nodded nervously. Grantaire leaned forward and put a hand on the back of Enjolras’s neck, pulling him close and kissing him gently. For a moment, Enjolras was frozen, but when he felt Grantaire’s tongue prodding his lip, he lunged forward and kissed Grantaire passionately. He grabbed Grantaire’s shirt in his hand and pulled him closer, his heart beating faster and faster until it exploded with love all-together.

When the need to breathe became too strong, he pulled back and rested his forehead against Grantaire’s. “I’ve been trying to tell you I’m in love with you,” he admitted, moving his hand up to caress his cheek gently. “I was trying to pick you flowers when I got stung by those bees, I thought that stupid Herpes stuffed animal was cute, I gave myself food poisoning trying to make you brownies, and I botched two attempts at first dates, but God, R, I love you so, so much.”

Enjolras could feel Grantaire’s smile against his lips. “I love you, too, Apollo.” He leaned in and kissed Enjolras again.

As the kissing turned into something more, Enjolras couldn’t help but feel pleased at the way that things had turned out. Sure, he hadn’t been able to plan the perfect reveal, but he wouldn’t change a single moment for the world. Not when he had Grantaire in his arms.

He was finally happy.


End file.
